Cameras 4 Conservation Bringing Cat Conservation into Focus

Who We Are

Cameras 4 Conservation (C4C) is a global initiative by S.P.E.C.I.E.S that provides the necessary technology to study some of the most threatened mammals around the globe. Using recycled, upcycled, purchased and donated trail cameras, C4C provides emerging and up and coming scientist with fully functional trail cameras in order to study species threatened by extinction. In order to conduct this effort, C4C has created a global network between individuals who no longer need their trail cameras and local scientists in key range countries, who need this technology the most. C4C is bridging the gap between underutilized resources and desperately needed grassroots wildlife conservation efforts. C4C currently focuses its efforts on small cat research in South and South East Asia.

On small cat that C4C focuses on is the clouded leopard. The clouded leopard populations numbers are decreasing, and the species is dependent on the tropical forests of Southeast Asia for its survival, but this habitat is undergoing the world's fastest deforestation rates. The clouded leopard is simultaneously threatened by hunting and habitat degradation particularly from palm oil, both species is are disapearing. Compounding the problem is the fact that scientist still don't know much about the ecology of clouded leopards, or many other endangered felid species in Southeast Asia. It is critical that scientists know how these beautiful animals survive in their threatened habitat in order to facilitate their protection. But how does one learn more about a small cat in a big forest? Camera traps. These tools are an efficient and minimally invasive means to learn more about these creatures. Camera traps can be deployed over a large area in order to capture photos of any wildlife passing by. From the photos generated, researchers can identify the creatures, retrieving a population estimate and learn more about the animals using the study area.​​​To address the needs of these carnivores, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. has launched cameras4conservation with partner Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL), a collaborative effort that capitalizes on the abundance of functional camera-traps available from previous users and studies. In focusing on bringing information on these species to light to better protect them and their tropical forest habitats, cameras4conservation aims to integrate our “4” synergistic goals: research, education, public outreach, and community participation. When combined, these goals are among the most powerful tools for achieving conservation. By making camera-traps available to teams of emerging conservation professionals from this region looking to further the conservation of rare species like bay cats, sun bears, Hose’s civets, flat-headed cats, and ferret badgers, to name just a few, we hope to support their education and enhance local individual capacity, while promoting much needed public outreach and awareness skills, and developing stronger relationships with local human communities.

​Camera Traps – Critical Wildlife Conservation Tools

Also called trail cameras, camera traps are motion sensor cameras designed to take photographs of wildlife. Game managers, hunters, and other wildlife enthusiasts use these cameras to observe what creatures may be in an area. Wildlife and nature photographers use trail cameras to get unique photos of elusive animals.​

​Camera traps provide an irreplaceable tool for the wildlife conservation field. Much like radio collars have revolutionized how wildlife is studied, the camera trap provides a unique opportunity to discreetly learn more about secretive animals. Because camera traps are cheaper to deploy and require less training to operate and utilize compared to some other tools, like radio collars, they have allowed researchers to study more animals in their native habitat better than before. Camera traps have been used to help aid in conservation in the following ways:

Studying the status of animals after reintroduction efforts.

Getting a more accurate population count in areas.

Researching the use of wildlife corridors (both man made and natural occurring) for use by targeted animals.

Researching habitat use and suitability.

Helping with ecological monitoring and biodiversity studies.

Some of these examples aren’t in use for clouded leopards. Currently there are captive breeding efforts for clouded leopards in zoos around the world. These animals help bring awareness to these elusive cats. This captive population could also act as a source for animals if clouded leopards go extinct in the wild, but right now more focus is on conserving the current wild population.​Getting a population count will help with clouded leopard conservation. As said before, it is unknown how many clouded leopards are left in the wild, but there is an optimistic estimate of 10,000 individuals. The population is thought to be highly fragmented and the number of cats left in each fragment is unknown. Learning where populations are large and robust would allow for concentrated efforts to perverse those areas. Camera traps allow researchers to photograph individual animals for population counts. Population modeling and density estimations from our camera trap data could provide a better estimate of the population as a whole and for fragmented areas.

With a fragmented population, it would be ideal to identify naturally occurring wildlife corridors (such as mountain ranges, river valleys or existing wildlife preserves) that connect different populations of clouded leopard habitats. These in the future could allow genetic exchange between the different populations as well as act as a safe route for animals to move through when changing hunting grounds. Camera traps have been used to see what trails animals are using. Our cameras could be set up to identify movements of clouded leopards outside of their home range and provide proof of use and in turn help preserve these vital corridors.